Game Notes – Missouri Southern State Classic, Nov. 24-25
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The Lady Crusaders will travel to Joplin, Missouri, to participate in Missouri Southern State University’s Pizza Hut/Fairfield Inn Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 24-25.
Evangel will meet the host, Missouri Southern, on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 25, EU will face Pittsburg ( Kans.) State University at 1 p.m. Both games will be played in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the MSSU campus.
Pittsburg State vs. Newman - 5 p.m.
Evangel vs. Missouri Southern - 7 p.m.
Evangel vs. Pittsburg State - 1 p.m.
Missouri Southern vs. Newman - 3 p.m.
Evangel is 1-3. The Lady Crusaders dropped their first three games of the season, but bounced back at Culver-Stockton on Nov. 18 to win the Heart of America Athletic Conference game, 67-56. Kristin Metzger led EU off the bench with 16 points. Brianna Mingus, who also came off the bench, and Abi Brock each scored 15 points. Heidi Kalsbeck added 11 points. Amy Szczepanik led Evangel with seven rebounds.
Missouri Southern is 1-0, but hosts Central Methodist University ( Mo.) on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. The Lady Lions began their season with a 68-64 win at home against Northeastern State University ( Okla.) on Nov. 18. Tynesha Pierce led MSSU with 19 points and was followed closely by Robin Kantin, who scored 18. Danielle DeVader totaled 13 points and Ashley Birch scored 10. Dana-Mae Robbs, Pierce, and Birch each had seven rebounds.
Pittsburg State is 0-2. The Gorillas were the hosts of their own classic, the Chatter’s Roundball Classic, on Nov. 17-18.. Pittsburg State lost 75-65 to Missouri-St. Louis on Nov. 17 and lost 61-46 to Southeastern Oklahoma the next day. Versus Mo.-St. Louis, Tracy Patry scored 20 points, Katelyn Hinkin had 14 and Janelle Klein totaled 10. Patry and Gilbert each had eight rebounds. Against SE Okla., the Gorillas’ Emily Sloan came off the bench to lead the team with nine points. Janelle Klein and Anna Nimz each had eight markers. Klein and Nimz each brought down six rebounds.
Missouri Southern leads the series versus Evangel, 23-10, and has won the last 15 games between the two teams. Last season, Missouri Southern defeated Evangel, 65-44, in the Pittsburg ( Kans.) State University Classic. Evangel’s last win against Missouri Southern was a 101-70 victory during the 1980-81 season at home.
Pittsburg State leads the series between the two schools, 11-1, and has won the last 11 meetings. EU’s win - the first between the schools - came during the 1975-76 season by a 78-62 score. EU’s last two losses to Pittsburg State came in the PSU Classic. EU lost 68-64 on Nov. 26 of last season and 73-51 on Nov. 24, 2001.
Evangel is led by Leon Neal (Evangel, 1989). Neal has a 284-127 record in 13 years.
Missouri Southern’s head coach is Maryann Mitts (Rockhurst University, 1992). Mitts is 85-58 in her sixth year at MSSU and 168-115 in 11 total years.
Steve High guides Pittsburg State. High is in his 18th season at PSU and has a 285-187 record.
Evangel resumes Heart of America Athletic Conference play on Thursday, Nov. 30, at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo.
In addition to all of their postseason games, two regular season Lady Crusader basketball games will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, KGMY 1400 AM. The games are at MidAmerica Nazarene on Dec. 7 and at College of the Ozarks on Jan. 23.
Every Lady Crusader basketball game will be carried live on the web, with the exception of the games at Missouri Southern on Nov. 24-25, the games on the Florida trip (Dec. 19 and 21), and the games on the Oklahoma trip (Oral Roberts exhibition game on Dec. 29, Southern Nazarene on Dec. 30). The Evangel basketball games are carried by All In Broadcasting at www.allinbroadcasting.com. The postgame show will provide a complete recap of each game and it is sponsored by the Assemblies of God Credit Union. Evangel’s Internet partner is Best Western - Deerfield Inn.
Ed Beach, Evangel director of broadcasting and marketing for athletics, will handle the play-by-play duties as the “Voice of the Crusaders” for the fifth season in a row.
Beginning after Dec. 2 of this year, a selected men’s and women’s “game of the week” will be available for viewing about a week after the contest. The Evangel games can be viewed at All In Broadcasting, www.allinbroadcasting.com. All games will be archived up to one month after the season’s end. Fans can access a game for 99 cents for 24 hours or for $2.99 can watch the game unlimited times and download it as well.
All games are a simulcast with the radio coverage on ESPN 1400 AM and the video portion is produced by ECTV (Evangel Cable Television), Evangel’s student television station.
Several Lady Crusaders recorded new season and/or career highs in EU’s 67-56 win at Culver-Stockton on Nov. 18.
Players attaining new career scoring highs were Abi Brock with 15 points and Kristin Metzger with 16. Brock’s previous high was 14 against Baker last year in 3OTs and 12 in regulation vs. Central Methodist during the 2004-05 season. Metzger’s previous scoring high was 11 versus College of the Ozarks and against Milligan last season.
In addition to Metzger and Brock new career highs, Heidi Kalsbeck (11 points) and Brianna Mingus (15 points) had season-highs vs. Culver-Stockton.
Under the boards, Metzger pulled down a season-best six caroms and Mingus tied her season high with three rebounds.